Share a Great Mountain Bike Riding Experience with other Women

“The camp was challenging and also very supportive, with encouragement from you and the campers and this environment will only lead to success. I wish I had a similar opportunity to learn these skills 10 years ago!” – Melanie, Womens Camp

BetterRide Women’s only Mountain Bike Camp, Clinic and Skills Coaching covers the same core skills as the co-ed camps in a supportive, non-judgmental atmosphere. This can be very beneficial as it invites students to push their limits without feeling intimidated.

What You Will Learn

Spend a three day weekend with us and we will teach you the physical and mental skills on how to ride balanced, efficiently, fast and smooth. You will also be given drills to help you master your new skills. Please, do yourself a favor and end the frustration of not riding up to your potential. For less than upgrading a wheelset you can upgrade your skills and start riding with ease and more confidence.

Core Mountain Biking Skills Learned In Camp

Correct Body Position

Balanced Weight Placement

Vision – How to Look Ahead Correctly

Bike Set up for Optimal Riding and Control

Cornering Technique with Take Home Drills

Advanced Cornering Technique

How to Brake Effectively

How to Use Your Brakes for Speed

Correct Technique for Uphill and Downhill Switchbacks

How to Clear Large Obstacles

How to Interpret the Trail to Ride Fast and Smooth

Camp Overview

This is the most fun and informative mountain bike skills coaching, camp or clinic you will ever attend

Starting in a safe learning environment we explain the skill, demonstrate the skill and have you practice the skill utilizing drills that you will continue to use long after the camp. Once you understand the skills we then apply them on the trail. Here at Better Ride we really enjoy helping others and would love to share with you the techniques, core skills and the skill building drills for you to continue to practice and eventually master.

Each day are camps start at 9:45 am with 3-4 hours of skills instruction and drills in a local park followed by 2-3 hours of on trail practice and riding on trail. A typical day runs from 9:45 am until 4:00 to 5:00 pm

Day 1

How to ride in balance, in control and efficiently. Learn correct body position, balance and weight placement for climbing and descending

How to look ahead correctly- Everyone one knows to look ahead but few actually do it! No matter how rough and rocky the trail you need to be looking ahead with both the trail and your goal in focus. This is easier said than done! We will teach you where and how to look ahead, how this effects your riding and how to improve your vision skills.

How to wheelie over small obstacles, up and down, efficient wheelies relying on technique, not upper body strength and how to use them over different obstacles

How to fall safer

Break for lunch and hit the trails to work on morning skills

Wrap up and reveiw of the days skills

Day 2

Review of day 1, questions?

How bikes corner, how to corner in balance, using vision to corner faster, easier with more control

Advanced cornering with drills

How to brake effectively (no skidding!)

how to use your brakes to go faster

How to start/restart on an uphill

Break for lunch and hit the trails to work on morning skills

Wrap up and reveiw

Day 3

Review of both days and questions, review drills

How to balance on a bike, how to improve your balance, how to trackstand

How to do switch backs (up and down) in balance and in control with my 100% technique (as opposed to the popular momentum method that works well 50-60% of the time)

We have designed our Women Only mountain bike skills camps to help you with both the mental and physical sides of mountain biking. Our goal is to help you reach your potential by teaching you the core skills of mountain biking and the drills to master these skills. These are the non-intuitive skills that eluded Gene Hamilton, Better Ride Head Coach after 15 years of riding and kept him from reaching his potential. Learning and becoming proficient at these skills will allow you to ride in balance and in control making you a more efficient and confident rider.

Reviews From Women Campers

I wish I could tell you I was sent to test your teaching skills by “acting” difficult but then I wouldn’t be telling the truth. I have always been a difficult person to teach because, not only am I impatient, but I expect to be an expert immediately. I also am horribly competitive, so if I have a “team” of people, I want to kick their asses and be the best. (Believe me; you do not want to play Charades with me…ever). However, I was really impressed with your coaching skills and your ability to put humor into my attitude. You have a unique ability to explain technique to a diverse group of people and keep it interesting and clear. As you said, every group is different, but it is easy to tell that you have no problem meshing random people together to make them feel like a real “team”. I also thought your use of stories and personal experiences were good tools that you utilized when everyone started thinking too hard about the task at hand.
I really feel that the core of your program lies in all the drills you taught. Already I feel more confident on my bike and understand some ridiculous mistakes I had been making in the past. I think that everyone who even considers MTB should really take your clinic, and I can also see how there is great potential for repeat customers and further training. You have a lot to offer riders and your energy and enthusiasm creates a wicked inspirational atmosphere that makes me personally want to challenge myself and realize my potential.

I wish you all the best and hope I do get the chance to study under you again.

Carien Hughes

I have to say a big THANKS for the great camp a couple weeks ago. I’ve been practicing my drills, and this past weekend I hit two of my favorite trails (Hall Ranch and Walker Ranch). I was able to wheelie up stuff that I’d never even tried before! The cornering skills were amazing in the swoopy section on Walker. And I *finally* made it up a hard technical climb that has confounded me for years …

Tara Peltier

Thanks for the homework! I think I’ll take you up on a couple of these books.

I thought your “camp” was awesome. I don’t know when I’ve experienced so many emotions and thoughts all in three days! The camp was like a microcosm of Life itself. Fun, challenging, frustrating … overwhelming, exhilirating…you name it.

I went out the Wednesday following the camp, did the drills then rode the Sport loop out at McDowell three times. Do you remember that darned hill at the end? I had NO PROBLEM making it up the hill every time. Funny because I watched a couple guys struggle and pop off as they practiced for the race! HA! They got to watch me use technique and easily make it up the hill.

On Saturday, I met Celia and we practiced the drills…then rode the Pemberton trail. It was great. We used each other to remind ourselves of the skills you taught us!
On Sunday…..I rode with a couple of my friends who have been riding awhile. They took me to a new park called F.I.N.S. (Fantasy Island North Singletrack). It is located at the base of the Estrella mountains. Let me tell you…it was challenging. Lots of exposure, switchbacks and climbing. While some of the switchbacks took me out…I climbed every hill great! I even made it up what they call Grunt Hill and shocked my friends. They couldn’t make it up the hill. What an awesome day.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. My riding has improved 100%. I am grateful for your patience with us…and me. I look forward to taking another camp from you as I’m sure it will truly “sink in” the concepts and techniques.

Keep sharing your knowledge, it truly is a gift!

Lynne Hulvey

Incredible! It’s like night and day. I took my first ride after your clinic, it’s like taking your favorite challenging singletrack and it becomes a four lane highway; you see your favorite trail in a whole new light. Gene, I’m totally serious. I went out this morning, my purpose being to work on your vision techniques. I was amazed at how it helped me in my climbing. I make it up stuff that I know I would of walked up before talking the clinic.